A Columbus sports radio host criticized his bosses on air for insisting on advertising Coors Light beer less than 24 hours after Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau was killed by a suspected drunk driver.
Gaudreau, a 31-year-old NHL veteran, and his younger brother Matthew, 29, died Thursday night after being struck by a vehicle while riding bicycles in New Jersey on the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding.
The driver, Sean M. Higgins, 43, of Woodstown, has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide without bail.
In documents seen by DailyMail.com, Higgins admitted to police that he drank “5 or 6 beers” before getting behind the wheel of his Jeep Grand Cherokee and crashing into the Gaudreau brothers.
The morning after the fatal crash, Columbus radio host Marc “Chops” Finch lost his cool after receiving complaints about a bucket of Coors Light beer placed in the intake during Friday’s YouTube simulcast of 97.1 The Fan’s “Bishop and Friends.”
A Columbus sports radio host (pictured) criticized his bosses on air for insisting on advertising Coors Light beer after the tragic death of Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau.
Gaudreau (pictured), a 31-year-old NHL veteran, and his younger brother Matthew, 29, died Thursday night after being struck by a vehicle while riding bicycles in New Jersey.
In a furious rant broadcast live, Finch singled out the “senior management” running the show after claiming they insisted on keeping the beers in the shot despite Thursday’s tragedy.
“Let’s do it right now… sorry, Coors Light is on display,” he said. “Someone said that in the YouTube chat right now. Send the emails to upper management.
“The program we had before, I respect it, they took it away. Management wanted it back up.
“Send it to them, not to me. I have to sit here next to them, I don’t want to do that today.”
Johnny, who was about to begin his third season with the Blue Jackets, and Matthew, a professional hockey player in the ECHL, were set to be best men at his sister’s wedding before the horrific accident. The wedding was called off Friday.
The crash happened less than three miles from the Gaudreau family home, hours before Katie was due to marry her partner Devin Joyce.
Sean M. Higgins, 43, admitted to police that he had five to six drinks before getting behind the wheel and crashing into the Gaudreau brothers.
The accident occurred less than three miles from Matthew (left) and Johnny’s family home.
Higgins collided with the two brothers after swerving into the southbound lane to pass vehicles in front of him.
Higgins, a decorated U.S. Army officer and father of two, was two cars behind the Gaudreau brothers, driving north on County Road 551, when he swerved into the southbound lane to pass the vehicles in front of him. He passed one with ease and was about to pass the second, an SUV, when the driver swerved into the middle of the road to safely pass Johnny and Matthew.
He then returned to the northbound lane, knocking them both down and killing them.
On Friday, police released a photograph of him with glassy eyes in his mugshot after he was arrested and charged.
Higgins then made his first court appearance on Friday at Salem County Court via video link, where he outrageously appeared to sigh in frustration after being ordered to remain in custody until next Thursday.
After Judge Michael J. Silvanio told him he must remain in jail for another six days, he was heard asking in apparent disbelief: “So… I’m here until Thursday?”
Silvanio then explained that the usual 72-hour detention period was being extended due to the holiday weekend, prompting Higgins to lean back in his chair and let out a deep sigh, despite the fact that he faces two counts of second-degree vehicular manslaughter.
Johnny leaves behind his wife Meredith (right) and two children: daughter Noa (second from right), one year old, and son Johnny, six months old (second from left).
Matthew’s tragic death came just over three years after he married his wife Madeline (right).
He appeared on video link wearing a dark green vest with Velcro on his shoulders and a bandage on his wrist and appeared expressionless as the judge recounted how the accident claimed the lives of the Gaudreau brothers.
Johnny’s wife, Meredith, broke her silence on Saturday following the devastating loss of her husband and brother-in-law.
Alongside a selection of photos of the couple and their two children (daughter Noa, one, and son Johnny, six months), Meredith wrote: “The best dad in the world. So caring and loving.
‘The best partner I’ve ever had the opportunity to be a parent. John never missed an appointment. He was the best at putting the baby to sleep and the apple of Noa’s eye. I love how much he resembles him.’
“We’re going to make you proud. We love you so much, daddy.”
Meredith paid tribute to Johnny in a heartbreaking Instagram post on Saturday after his death.
She described the Blue Jackets star as “the absolute best dad” while sharing family photos.
It also emerged that Matthew’s wife Madeline is currently pregnant with their first child.
Meredith and Johnny tied the knot in September 2021, a year after the hockey player proposed.
They welcomed their first child, daughter Noa, in October 2022, before their son Johnny was born in February of this year.
Meanwhile, Johnny’s brother Matthew leaves his wife Madeline just over three years after their wedding.
To add to the tragedy, it has been revealed that Madeline is currently pregnant with the couple’s first child.
A GoFundMe page set up to support Madeline through her pregnancy following Matthew’s death hit the $300,000 mark on Saturday.